Kai sighed softly as he gazed at Lloyd and his father. Nya took his hands in hers.
"It's mom and dad, isn't it?"
The fire ninja let out a soft sigh, nodding softly. His eyes began to mist over. "I-I just miss them so much… We've gained so much, yet we've lost so much in return."
"Don't think like that," Nya gently cooed in a firm tone. "Mom and dad are here with us, in here." She pointed to her heart. "They're always with us; we just need to be patient. They'll come back to us, I promise."
"I…I hope so," Kai sighed, his voice wavering. "I love you, Nya."
"I love you, too," Nya said in a softened voice as she pulled her brother close. Quietly, she whispered, "Thank you, I don't think I could've made it without you."
Garmadon smiled at Misako and Wu. "I remember when we used to be like that. My, how time flies."
Wu sighed, his gaze turning solemn. "Should we tell them? Kai and Nya… They've been away from their parents for so long."
"I know," Misako agreed, patting his arm gently. "I feel as if they both feel that they need to earn it, too. We can wait just a little while longer."
"Okay, we'll wait," Garmadon said.
Their gaze shifted to Lloyd, at the young man he had grown into. He had truly come so far.
Garmadon smiled softly. Their gaze shifted to Lloyd, at the young man he had grown into. He had truly come so far. "He has come so far, hasn't he?"
"He has," Wu agreed.
"The journey will be rough from here on out, but we'll get through it," Misako chimed in. "Lloyd will make it through, I'm sure."
Garmadon smiled, kissing his wife's hand. "As long as we're together, we're always strong.
Wu nodded. "As long as we're together, we'll always make it."
"Absolutely." Misako smiled.
The cycle would undoubtedly be rough, but they would find their way.
In the meantime, they would celebrate this day with their family.
A family they would never be apart from.
No matter where they may be.
They would always be together.
Until the end of time.
Xenudah glared at the ninja from a nearby tree. The descendants of that cursed First Spinjitzu Master who tore my family apart!
His hands balled up into tight fists as the fury grew within him.
A sudden surge of rage washed over him. He would pull his former family together once again, and this time he would make things right. No matter how long it took, time was against him. He could see it in the air around him: time was closing in. He could feel it from himself.
His instinct roared at him that he had to act now. Before it was too late. Before time had run out. Before his plan was fruitless.
This time he would make things right. No matter what he had to do, no matter how many lives he had to put on the line. He would finally heal his family, both physically and mentally, and nothing would stop him from achieving that.
It was time.
He let out a low growl, dark rage spreading across his being. He jumped down, indigo eyes piercingly gazing at the green ninja. "You did this to me! You're the reason my father, Yakunan is the way that he is!"
Garmadon gasped. "Your father...is the Overlord..."
"Was. Till your pathetic son purged all the darkness out of him!" Xenudah snapped. He glared back at Lloyd.
"You're raving mad," Nya said, eyes wide. "You have no proof that Lloyd did anything to your father."
"I thought my father was long gone! Yet Lloyd not only freed him, but had the audacity to turn him against me! Now I'm going to fight for him!" Xenudah continued, ignoring Nya's words. "It's time to pull the darkness back into my family, and all against Lloyd. The world will be better for it!"
"Leave my son alone!" Garmadon shrieked.
"That's enough, you heartless monster!" Jay shrieked, spinning his nunchucks around at the same time. "You can't force your family to love you!"
"You don't understand!" Yakunan's descendant cried, his voice swelling with grief and fury. "You have no idea what it's like to grow up without a family! I won't stand by and watch you mock me! I won't stand by while you happily reunite with your precious Ultimate Spinjitzu Master!" Xenudah snarled. "I will not allow it!"
The ninja were stunned by Xenudah's declaration. "He's insane," Cole murmured. "Who does he think that he is?"
"How dare you disrespect my family!" Garmadon said. "It's bad enough that your father cursed me to live with the Devourer's venom coursing through my veins for decades!"
"Dad," Lloyd started, "I know you're upset right now, but I just don't think…"
"The Akurai family has always been our enemy!" Garmadon snapped. "Since the very beginning!"
"Even if you were our enemy, you're attacking us for no reason." Wu held his staff in front of him.
"Your family took everything from me!" Xenudah roared. "I have nothing left to live for but revenge."
Xenudah leapt toward Lloyd, his hands and feet glowing deep indigo with fury. Lloyd leapt in front of him, ready for the attack, hands open. The two rushed towards each other, the son of Garmadon determined to protect his father.
Xenudah was ready for the attack. He flipped around Lloyd's arm, delivering a swift kick to his stomach. Lloyd groaned as he was sent sailing to the floor, his limbs limp and body bruised. Garmadon rushed to his side, holding him close.
"Xenudah!" Yakunan cried as he ran in front of the group, taking off his civilian attire. "Don't do this to me, son! Please!"
"You abandoned me, Yakunan!" Xenudah shrieked. "You left me in that cave alone! You left me to die! You weren't there for me when I needed you!"
"Xenudah, I'm sorry that I didn't protect you! But please, if you can find it in yourself to forgive me–"
Xenudah let out a ferocious cry as he charged at his father, his hands crackling with energy. "I'll never forgive you! I'll make you pay for what you did to me!"
"Xenudah, no!" Yakunan said, as he dodged his son's attack. "You're my son. How could you do this to me?"
"We're done talking!" Xenudah snarled. He lunged forward, his hands outstretched. "I know how to make you feel the pain I felt!"
Yakunan held his son's arms, attempting to slow him down. "I know you're hurt, Xenu," he said desperately, trying to tame the fires within his son. "I know you still feel miserable and hated, and I don't blame you, but you have to understand–"
"No!" Xenudah roared, struggling against his father. "I hate you, and I want you to feel the pain I've gone through!"
"Xenudah, stop it!" Yakunan cried, detaching himself from his son. "Please... I can't lose you again..."
Xenudah's fragile facade crumpled as he lunged at his father. He tackled him to the ground, pinning him to the dirt. He raised his hands, preparing to unleash all his pain on his father. He was determined to destroy him.
"I hate you!" Xenudah said, his eyes glowing even more intensely with the rage and the hatred within him.
"Xenudah, please!" Yakunan shrieked. He struggled to get out from underneath his son.
"This is what I've always wanted to do to you!" Xenudah roared. "I'm going to kill you, and I will make it hurt!" He leapt towards his father, his hands outstretched. His energy seeped into his father's skin, burning his flesh and filling him with unspeakable pain.
Xenudah grinned, leaping at his father once more. He knew the energy could be debilitating if used wrong, and he would make it hurt. He would make both his father and the Kamiare family feel what he felt.
"No!" Yakunan cried as his son struck him. The attack rushed through him. He could feel the energy burning him in countless ways. He wailed in agony as he fought to cling onto sanity.
The ninja surrounded Xenudah, who jumped backwards, surrounding himself with a barrier. He glared at the Kamiare family and their allies, as if he could burn them with his eyes. A faint smirk danced onto his lips and he let out a bitter chuckle. "I wanted to do that ever since I was trapped in that wretched cave."
"Xenu, please... I'm begging you..." Yakunan squeaked as his fingers dug into the soil. "Don't let your hatred blind you... I'm here now...for you..."
Xenudah roared. "I won't let you and your friends come in the way of my revenge!"
"Xenu, please!" Yakunan wailed, tears flowing from his eyes. "It's not too late! You can still be my son! You can still feel love!"
"No!" Xenudah shrieked. "I don't know what love is! Everyone has always hated me! No one ever cared about me! You abandoned me! You never loved me! You made me feel unwanted and unwanted! You turned me into this!" He gestured to his draconic form. "I'm not even human anymore!" He hesitated. "You're not my dad! You're my enemy! You mean nothing to me now! You've caused me nothing but pain!"
Yakunan shook his head, almost horrified. "Xenu, look at me... Please... Something is there... A spark... It's still there..."
"Don't you understand?! I can no longer feel anything..." Xenudah shook his head in defeat. "You... You have no right to call yourself my father..."
"Xenu..." Yakunan's voice was filled with pain. "I beg you... Don't do this... Don't let hate consume you..."
"I'm sorry..." Xenudah whispered, his head bowed. "I don't know how to resurrect the part of me that loves you..." He gripped his head, shaking it as tears rushed down his cheeks. "I don't think I can... I'm sorry...but this is all I know..."
Yakunan sobbed. "Xenudah..." He struggled to stand up. "I can't keep living like this, without you anymore… Not after all this time... I won't let you fall into the darkness..." He took a step forward. "Please... Don't let hate consume you..." His arms stretched out towards Xenudah. "Put your hatred to rest..." He choked the words out. "I can't... I can't lose you again... I'm begging you..."
Xenudah took a step forward and then hesitated. A tear streamed down his cheek. Yakunan's arms were stretched out towards him, begging him to forgive him.
"I'm sorry..." Xenudah whispered, bowing his head. "I can't... I don't think I can ever forgive you... That was never my intention... I just hate the pain in my heart... I can't let it go... I hate the way you're looking at me... There was never anything but hatred in my heart for you… From the moment you left me behind, I want you to suffer as much as I did..." He shook his head. "I won't die... I'll make you suffer... I'll fight you to the death... No matter how hard you try to stop me..." He lifted his head back up.
"Xenudah, no..." Yakunan pleaded. "I can't lose you..."
Xenudah let out another roar. "I'm not giving you another chance! I don't forgive you! I won't forgive you! I don't need your forgiveness! There's nothing good in you! You're not my father! You're not the one I knew!" He leapt away from his father, his body trembling. He sighed, and spoke again. "You don't deserve forgiveness."
Yakunan fell to his knees, his head bowed as he lay in a pool of tears. "Xenudah... Don't do this... I'm begging you... Don't let hate consume you... It's not worth it... I love you so much... I want you to live..." He sobbed. "...I'm begging you... Come back to me..."
"Do you think you can just come back here, and everything will be okay?" Xenudah snarled. "I'm not your son anymore. I won't forgive you. I hate you!"
Yakunan stuttered, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Xenudah... I'm begging you... I love you... I love you with all my heart... I want you to live, Xenudah... To be my child once more..."
Xenudah's eyes widened. "N...no..." he whispered, his eyes filling up with tears. "You don't mean that... You don't love me... It's me..." He clenched his fists. "You can't love a monster! I can't be your son anymore..."
"Xenudah... You're my son... You were always my son..." Yakunan sobbed, as tears ran down his cheeks at an alarming rate. "I love you... I will never stop loving you... I'm asking you to love me back again... Please... Forgive me... Don't let hate consume you..."
"Don't talk about love, when you're the source of it all...when you abandoned me...when you claim to have never existed...when you don't love me... I won't forgive you..."
"I'm begging you..." Yakunan's fingers dug into the soil. "I'm begging you to forgive me... I can't take this anymore..."
"I'm not your son!" Xenudah screamed, his eyes glowing brighter. He squirmed as his power reared up again. "There's nothing good in you... You're not my father... I'll destroy you... I'll kill you... Everything you stand for... I'll destroy it all!" He leapt towards his father, his eyes glowing even brighter with rage.
Yakunan gasped as a dagger stabbed into his side. The dagger he gave his child as a parting gift before leaving him all those years ago. Xenudah's eyes widened and he sunk to his knees. "Xenudah..." Yakunan sighed. "You don't hate me..."
"I won't forgive you..." Xenudah muttered. "I'll come back, and when I do, I'll show you no mercy. Don't expect me to save you next time..." Without another word, he took off into the afternoon sky.